TORONTO -- Tim Anderson was forced to grow up quickly.

The 25-year-old originally from Alabama has been through his share of hardships, heartbreak, grief and loss, and this season he will continue to turn one of those losses into something positive, by donating to the fight to end senseless violence with every base he steals.

Anderson’s inspiration comes from a loss he felt on May 7, 2017, when his best friend, Branden Deon Moss, was shot and killed trying to help a man who was being brutally beaten. The money the White Sox shortstop raises will “support and build leadership skills in youth affected by violence,” he shared on his Pledge It page.

“I just hope people get to know me as a person and appreciate the things that I’m doing in the community,” Anderson said. “Mostly, I like to leave smiles on people’s faces, and especially the kids. We want to get them in an area where they can actually be kids, because a lot of kids grow up faster than they’re supposed to.

“I had to. I had to mature real quick. So that’s why I get it.”

Anderson’s aim is to change the culture of violence and give kids an outlet away from the temptations and dangers of the streets.

“We are on the South Side of Chicago; that’s what goes on,” he said. “I had a friend who got killed for the same thing, so I know what it’s like being around it and growing up with it. So I think me and my wife [Bria] do a good job of doing stuff in the community, and I think it’s kind of mandatory that we do that, and be an example to the youth, because they’re our future.”

The young infielder has formed special bonds with many of the people he’s met throughout his efforts in his adopted community, and believes his own experiences have helped him relate and find common ground, however unfortunate.

“I’ve got a good connection with the kids that I work with,” Anderson said. “We don’t necessarily talk about what they’re going through, because when I was in their shoes I didn’t want to talk about what I was going through. It’s more just being relatable and being realistic. Me and some of those kids have some things in common. …

“We’ve got the same stories, same pain. We go through a lot of pain, so I think they get it and I get it. That’s why the connection’s so good.”

Anderson is 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts already this season, and leads the Majors in steals and percentage, among players with at least 10 attempts. He is currently on pace for 54 stolen bases, and will donate $500 for each base he steals.

“Hopefully I can empty my pockets,” Anderson said. “We’ll see what happens. I’m going to try to steal as many as I can. I don’t like to put a number on it, but I just want to have fun with it.”

White Sox manager Rick Renteria couldn’t be more proud of what his shortstop is doing and the way in which he’s embraced the local community.

“He is a very generous young man,” Renteria said. “He puts his time out there. People may not know it, but he does spend a lot of time in the community, and does a lot of things that are beyond the diamond. … We’re happy that he’s doing that. I think everybody in Chicago’s happy that he’s doing that. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with the gifts that [players] are given, and I think he takes a hold of that and is doing the best he can with it.”

Jimenez closer to return

Eloy Jimenez ran the bases at Rogers Centre ahead of Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays, moving him one step closer to returning to the White Sox lineup.

“He looked very good,” Renteria said. “He will continue to work. We’re going to try to get him to do it one more time before we leave, either tomorrow or Sunday. We’re trying to find a window for him to do that, and then all things being equal, we’ll see when we determine that he’s ready to go out, either sometime at the end of this weekend or next week. But he’s doing very, very well.”

Minor movement

The White Sox announced that outfielder Preston Tucker was released on Friday, and subsequently signed with the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization. He was a non-roster invitee at Spring Training and batted .284/.352/.420 with one home run, eight doubles and 10 RBIs in 24 games at Triple-A Charlotte.